Lasting machine



vAug. 0, 1943. T; P; CQU CHENE 2,326,123

LAS'IING MACHINE Filed Au 5/1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig."

Patented Aug. 10, 1943 2 UNETED .STA'E'ES PATENT OFFICE Lasa na MACHINE Theodor-oi. Church-one, Beverly, Mass, assigncr United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 3., corporation of New Jersey Application 3, 1942, Serial No. 453,310

(Cl. iii- .12)-

, by reason especially of the character or themech This invention relates to lasting-machines, and is herein illustrated as applied to a machine of the sarne general character as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,343,232, granted on February 2, 1932 on an application-of Jor gensens, but modified in certain respects a-s flurther disclosed mainly in Letters Patent No. 2,026,539, granted on January '7',- 1936also on an applicatio-nof B. Jorgensens. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not-limited to the particular embodiment illustrated;

A machine of the above-mentioned type is a power-operated machine which includes in its organization heel-lasting means mounted for preliminary positioning movement lengthwiseof a shoe in the machine toward the heel end thereof from an initial retracted positioninwhichit is held by a latch. This movement is effectedby a spring upon release of the heel-lasting means by the operator prior to the starting of the power operation of the machine, and it is normally liniited independently of he shoe by means provided 7 for that purpose. To guard against possible injury to an operator or breakage of the machine, mechanism is further provided for preventing the starting of the machine unless the heel-lasting means has thus been released. and has been moved toward the shoe. This mechanism c'omprises a device for locking the starting means against operative movement when the heel-lasting means is in its initial retracted position and for unlocking it in response to themovement of the heel-lasting means toward the shoe. The unlocking of the starting means has thus taken place heretofore prior to the substantialcompletion of that movement of, the heel-lasting means by reason of the release by the latter of a lever which it engages in its .retracted posb tion to render the locking device operative.

An object of this invention is to afford still better insurance against breakage of such a ma chine under abnormal conditions. A machine of this type is often used to last tennis shoes or the like which are made. on metal lasts each having in its heel end a pair of'spindle holes spaced apart lengthwise of the last; and ifsuch a shoe and its last are incorrectly presented by the operator with the usual last pin or spindle of the machine in the wrong spindle hole, the heel-lasting means, whenreleased by the operator, may be prevented by the shoe and last from arriving at the normal limit of its positioning movement. This may happen also, regardless of the kind of last, if the last pin is :badly displaced from its proper adjusted position. Under such conditions,

anisrn provided for operating the heel-lastin means,'there is danger of breakage of some part of the machine in the power operationthereof. The present invention accordingly provides means for preventing the starting of the machinejunless the ,heel-lastingmean's has receivedsubstantially its full normal positioning movement, orhas arrived Substantially at the normal limit of such movement; In the coni stru'ction shown the above-mentioneddevice for locking the starting means against ope'ratiye movement is rendered,iiioperativeonly 'by the very last portion of thnornial positioning movement of the heel-lastin means. For this purpose the previously rrientionedlever engaged by the heel-lasting means in itsjretracted position is held by a latch in position toprevent the starting .{of the machine until the heel-lasting means has nearly completed its normal positioning movement, whereupon'the latch .is operated to release the lever and .thus to permit. the starting of themachine.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to .the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims. I W

In the drawings; 7 l

Fig. 1 is a view front elevation of the upper right-hand portion '.,of a; machine of the type disclosed in the previously mentioned Letters Patent, as modifiedfor purposes of the present invention, the parts being shown in ithel positions which they occupy after the release-of the heel lasting -means and 'its 'movem'ent toward the shoe; V Fig. 2 shows partly in plan and partly insection, on a larger scale, thelower portion oftlie structureshownin Fig. .1, with contain Parts omitted; r i

Fig.3 is a view of. the lower ,portionof themachine in left-hand side elevation, showing- H dlianism controlled by ;p,artsshown in Fig.- 1' for locking and releasing "the starting means;

Fig. 4 is a viewin front elevation,',sho,wing parts provided by the present .inventionjor' controlling the starting means, the parts being shownin the positions which they ,occnpy prior to the release of the heel' laslting means; and

Fig. 5 is a view of aportioner tlilestructure shown in Fig. i, partly in right-hand sideeleva tion and partly in section on the ,line ,.V..V lof Fig.4. 2 I

In view of the disclosures xii-the previously mentioned Letters Patent, the present description will be confined to such portions of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention. The shoe and its last are mounted on a last pin 2 which enters the usual spindle hole in the heel end of the last and is supported by a slide 4 movable vertically downward against'the resistance of a spring 6 by pressure applied to the bottomof the shoe at a predetermined time in the power operation of th machine. The last pin is more directly supported, and is adjustable in directions heightwise of the shoe relatively to the slide 4, by means' including a threaded vertical rod 8 carried by a slide iii which is movable in directions lengthwise of the shoe along guideways onthe upper 'end of the slide 4 for a purpose hereinafter described.

For lasting the heel end of theshoe, the machine is provided with heel-lasting means including wipers [2 for wiping the margin of the upper inwardly over an insole on the last, aheel band I I which serves as an abutment for engaging the heel-end face of the shoe and assists in conforming the upper to the contour of the last, anda carriage l6 supporting the wipers and the heel band. The carriage I6 is guided for movements in directions lengthwise of the shoe on a pair of horizontal rods 18 (Figs. land 2) which are fast on the vertically movable slide 4, the construction accordingly being such that the heel-lasting means accompanies th shoe in its downward the left than shown in Fig. 1, against the resist ance of the spring 68, by a latch 62 which is pivoted on the bracket 34 and controlled by a spring 64, the latch being arranged to engage a plate 65 on the slide 32. Accordingly, when the carriage I6 is held by the latch 20 in its initial retracted position toward the right, the slide it which carries the last pin 2 is held in a retracted position toward the left by the latch 62. When the can riage I6 is released by the operator and is moved by the spring 24 toward the shoe, the slid [2 is still held'in its retracted position until the carriage l8 nears the end of its movement, whereupon a screw 68 on the lower end of the carriage engages the latch 62 and causes it to release the slide [0. The spring 60 then serves to move the slide l0 toward the right and thus to carry the shoe toward the heel band 14.

Thelink 54 is pivotally connected at its righthand end to an arm 10 which is connected by gear teeth to another arm 12 movable to return the slide H3, after the lasting operations, to the position in which it is held by the latch 62. In the construction herein shown the arm 12 is thus operated by mechanism such as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,101,069, granted on December movement with the slide 4. To provide room for mounting the shoe on the last pin 2 the carriage l6 is held initially in an idle retracted position comparatively remote from the last pin by a latch 28, in engagement with a lug 22 on the lower end of the carriage, and upon its release by the latch the carriage is moved toward the shoe by a spring 24 abutting against a bracket 25 fast on the outer ends of the rods 18. The latch 20 is carried by an arm 23 which, through'a rod 28, is moved downwardly by the operator as heretofore to release the carriage [6 to the action of the spring 24 after a shoe has been placed on the last pin. The normal limit ,of such movement of the car riage is'determined by its engagement with stop washers (Fig. 2) which are mounted'on the rods l8 between the carriage and the slide 4.

As disclosed particularly in Letters Patent No. 2,026,539, the previously mentioned shoe support slide I0 is connected to another slide 32 (FigI-2) also movable in directions lengthwise of the shoe along a guideway on a bracket 34 fast on the vertically movable slide 4. For thus connecting the two slides l0 and 32 ther is provided a shaft 36 which is threaded in a'nut 38 mounted in a recess in the slide 10 and is rotatable in 2. lug til formed on the slide 32." The shaft 36 is held from moving lengthwise relatively to the slide 32 by a collar 42 mounted on the shaft at one side of the lug 49 and a bevel gear 44 mounted on the shaft at the other side of'the lug. The bevel gear 44 is engaged by another bevel gear 46 fast on' a shaft 50 rotatable in the slide 32, on which shaft there is a hand wheel 52 for turning it. Accordingly, by means of this hand wheel the slid It] may be moved relatively to the slide 32 to adjust the last'pin 2 in directions lengthwise of the shoe as may be required for shoes of different sizes. Pivotally connected to the slide 32 is a link 54, and mounted between a nut-56 on the link and a plate 58 fast on the bracket 34 is a compression spring 60 which tends to move the two slides l0 and 32 as a unit toward the right as the parts are viewed in Fig. 1. initially, however, the two slides are held somewhat farther toward I, 193'lon an application of B. J orgensens. This mechanism comprises a bar :4 which corresponds to the bar 346 shown in the last-mentioned Letters Patent and which by upward movement serves to swing the arm 12 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. l) and thu to impart the return movement to the slide 19. As fully disclosed in the last-mentioned Letters Patent, such upward movement of the bar it takes place in time relation to the operation of a shoe-removing device l6'with which the machine is provided after the shoe has been removed from the last pin 2 by this device, the carriage it having already been retracted to the position in which it is held by the latch 20 by automatic means acting through a chain 18 connected to the carriage.

As fully disclosed in the previously mentioned Letters Patent No. 1,843,232, the machine is operated through a clutch herein identified generally by the reference character 88 (Fig. 3). The clutch; is controlled through a pin 82 having an enlarged head 8% arranged to be engaged by a plate 86which is fast on an arm 82- mounted for upward and downward swinging movements. When the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 the machine is idle, and to start it in-operation it is necessary to swing the arm 88'upwardly and thereby to cause the plate 86 to release the pin 82. The arm is thus operated through a hook 86 in engagement with a plate 52 fast on the arm, the hook being mounted on the lower end of a link-84 which is moved upwardly by the swinging of a presser foot arm (not herein shown) to a position over the toe end of the shoe. To permit the machine to be stopped at the end of the cycle of operations by engagement of the plate, 88 with the head 84 of the pin 82, the hook 9G is disconnected from the plate 92 shortly after the starting of the machine by a block 95 carried by the clutch. The arm 83 is then returned to its initial position by a spring 98 connected to another arm me which is mounted to swing with the arm 88 in fixed relation thereto.

As a measure of safety, themachin'e is further provided as heretofore with means for preventing the starting thereof when the carriage B6 of the heel-lasting means is held by the latch 29 in its initial retracted position. For this purpose a hook 62 formed on one end of a lever I04 pivs arm 86.

is shown in Fig. 3, the carriage I6 in Fig. lhaving been released and moved toward the shoe.

It will be evident that the above-described oted at I66 on a bracket I68 at the base of the machine is arranged to engage a pin I In on the lower end of a lever H2 which is connected at its upper end by a link II4 to the arm I00. As will be evident, when the hook I02 is in its operative position it serves by engagement with the pin I It to prevent such upward movementof the arm 86 as to start the machine. To maintain the hook in that position when the carriage I6 is retraoted, there is pivotally mounted on the brooket 25 (Figs. 1 and 4) a bell-crank lever II6-having a depending-arm I I8 engaged by the carriage I6 and another arm I26 connected by alink I22 to one arm ofa bell-crank lever I24 (Fig. l)' at the-base of the machine. The otherarm of this bell crank lever is connected by a link I26 to a depending arm I28 (Fig; 3) mounted to swing about a horizontal axis on the bracket I 68. In

tegral-with the hub of the arm I28 is a short arm I36 underlying the forward end of the lever 466. interposed between, the arm I30 and a screw I32 on the forward end of the lever II is a pivotally mounted arm I 34 provided for a purpose which need not be herein explained but which is disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,843,232. It is sufficient hereinto note that by upwardmovement the arm I 30 acts through the arm I34 to raise the forward end of the lever I64 and thus to move the hook I62 downwardly into'position to engage the pin H0. Such upward movement of the arm I 36 results from movement Of the bell-crank lever H6 in a counterclockwise-directicn in response to engagement of the carriage I6 with the arm II8 when the carriage is moved to its retracted position. When permitted by the bell-crank lever II 6, a spring I36 connected to the hook H12 raises the hook into position to a clear the pin H6, so that the machine may be thereafter started by upward movement of the lat isthe position in which the hook safety mechanism effectively prevents the start.-

ing of the machinewhen the carriage I6 is in its initial retracted position. Heretofore the bellcrank lever I I6 has been controlled wholly by the engagement of the carriage I6 with the arm H8 of the lever, and accordingly as the carriage has started to move toward the shoe the hook 62 has started to move upwardly toward its inoperative position by reasonof the progressive release or the lever H6. The hook, therefore, has arrived in position to permit the starting. of

the machine when the carriage has been still a.

substantial distance short of the normal limit of it movement determined by its engagement with the washers 66. This has been entirely satisfactory under most conditions, i. e., when conditions have been such as to permit the carriage to receive its full positioning movement. Occasionally, however, the position of a shoe is such that the carriage is stopped short of the normal limit of its positioning movement by reason of the engagement of the heel band I4 with the shoe. This may be due to the fact that in the use of a metal last. having two spindle holes the last pin, 2 is positioned in the wrong spindle hole,

or to the fact that the last pin has been badly displaced from its proper position by the hand wheel 66. If the machine is operated under these conditions there is danger of breakageof parts, as will be understood from a consideration of the character of the mechanism whereby the heel wipers "I2 are operated. Theconstruction of this downward movement with the shoe. by movement lengthwise of the shoe of a. plunger I38 supported by the carriage I6, andthe plunger is operated by a. bel1-crank lever I40 whichis supported independently of the carriage and has a movement of fixed extent, the lever having a plate I42 which engages a roll I44 on the end of the plunger I38. It Will be evident that any substantial variation in the position of the carriage I6 at the end of its positioning movement lengthwise of the shoe affects substantially the relation of the plunger I 38 to the'bell crank lever I".

.In view of the above and other considerations, the construction herein shown is such that'starting of the machine is prevented unless the carriage I6 has arrived substantially at the normal limit of its movement determined by the washers 36. Pivotally connected at one end to the arm II6 of the bell-crank lever H6 is an arm I66 the other end of which is supported in a slot I48,

as a latch to prevent movement of the bell-cranl lever II6 as the carriage I6 begins its movement toward the shoe, and for this purpose is provided witha shoulder I52 (Fig. 1) which engages a. vertical face I53 on the bracket I when the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 4. A spring I54 tends to swing the arm I 46 downwardly and thus to maintain it in operative position. Pivotally mounted on a pin I56 on the bracket I56 is a bell-crank lever I58 having a depending arm I66 provided with a screw I62 arranged to be engaged by. a face I64 (Fig. 2) on the carriage I6 when the carriage has nearly arrived at the normal limit of its positioning movement. The bell-crank lever I56 hasalso a substantially hori zontal arm I66 provided with a screw I68 arranged to engage the lower face of the arm I 66. Accordingly, the'carriage I6 acts through this bell-crank lever to swing the arm I46 upwardly and thus to release the bell-crank lever II6. Such release of the lever II6, however, occursonly when the carriage has substantially arrived in the position .determineclby the washers 30,- the screws I62 and I68 beingadjustable to secure a high degree of precision in this respect. If, therefore, under -abnormal conditions such, for example, as hereinbefore described, the carriage I6 fails to receive substantially its full normal' positioning movement, the starting of the machine is still prevented by the hook I02 (Fig. 3) and danger of breakage of the machine under those conditions is avoided. It will be understood that in response to each return movement of the carriage I6 to the position in which it is held by the latch 20' the latch arm I46 is returned to the operative position in which it is shown in Fig. 4.

The manner of operation of the construction provided for purposes of this invention having been fully explained above, no further description .of the operation is necessary.

. Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis: I

1. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of lasting means having .a normal range of movement from an initial retracted position into position for operating on a shoe on said support, means for starting the power operation ofthe machine, and mecham'sm for preventing the starting of the machine by said starting means unless said lasting means has received substantially the full positioning movement thus provided for. v

2. In a power-operatedlasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of lasting means movable rrom an initial retracted position into position for operating on a shoe on said support, means for normally limiting independently of the shoe such movement of the lasting means, means for starting the power operation or the machine, and mechanism for. preventing the starting or" the machinebyv said starting means unless said lasting means has been moved from its initialretracted position substantially to the position determined bysaidlimiting means.

3.'In.a power-operated lasting machine, the

combination with a shoe support, of lasting means movable from an initial retracted position into position for operating on a' shoe on said support, a spring for thus moving said lasting means, stop mechanism for normally:limiting the. movement thereof, means for starting the power poperation of the machine, and mechanism for preventing the starting of the machine .by said starting means unless said lasting means has been moved by said spring substantially to the position determined by said stop mechanism.

4. In apower-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of lasting means 'movable from aninitial retracted position into position for. operating on a shoeon said support, means for normally limiting independently of the shoe such movement of the lasting means, means for starting the power operation of the machine, a device forrendering the starting means inoperative when the lastingmeans is in its retracted position, and mechanism controlled by the positioning movement of the lasting means for rendering said device inoperative to prevent the starting of the machine only when the lasting means has arrived substantially in the position determined by said limiting means. 7

5. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of lasting means movable from an initial retracted position into position for operating on a shoe on said support, means for normally limiting independently of the shoe such movement of the lasting means, means forstarting the power operation of the machine, a device for locking the starting means against movement to start the machine when the lasting means is in its retracted position, and means to cause saiddevice to unlock the starting means in response to the positioning movement of the lasting means only when the lasting means has arrived substantially in the position determined by said limiting means.

' 6. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of heel-lasting means mounted for preliminary positioning movement lengthwise of a shoe on said support from an initial retracted position, means for determining independently of the shoe a normal limit of such movement'of the lasting means, poweroperated mechanism independently of which the lasting means is thus movable for thereafter operating said lastin means, means for starting the power operation of the machine, and mechanism controlled by said lasting means'for preventing the starting of the machineunless the lasting means has arrived substantially at the normal limit of its positioning movement.

7.111 a power-operated lasting machine, the

combination with a shoe support, of heel-lasting meansmounted i or preliminary positioning movement toward the heel end of a shoe on said support from an initial retracted position, means for determining independently of the shoe a normal limit of such movement of the lasting means, means for starting the power operation of the machine, mechanism including a member arranged to be operated by movement of the lasting means tosaid retracted position for preventing the starting of the machine when the lasting means is in that position, and means for retaining said member still in position to prevent the startingof the machine as the lasting means begins its positioning movement toward the shoe, said retaining means being movable to release said member in response to the positioning movement of the lasting means only when the lasting means has arrived substantially at the normal limit of said movement. v

8. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of heel-lasting means mounted for preliminary positioning movement toward thelheel end or a shoe on said support from an initial retracted position, means for starting the power operation oi the machine, mechanism including a member arranged to be operated by movement of the lasting means to said retracted position for preventingthe starting or" the machine when the lasting means is in that position, a device for retaining said member'stiil in position to prevent the starting of the machine as the lasting means begins its positioning movement toward the shoe, and means for thereafter operating said device to release said member in response to the positioning movement of the lasting means near the end oi said movement.

9. in a power-operated lasting machine, the combination'with a shoe support, of heel-lasting means mounted for preliminary positioning movement toward the heel end of a shoe on said support from an initial retracted position, means for starting the power operation of the machine, mechanism including a member arranged to be operated by movement or the lasting means to said retracted position for preventing the starting or the machine when the lasting means is in that position, a latch for retaining said member still in position to prevent the starting of the machine as the lasting means begins its positioning movement toward the shoe, and a lever movable thereafter by the lasting means to operate said latch and thereby to release said member as the lasting means nears the end of its positioning movement.

10. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of an abutment i'or engaging the heel-end face 01 a shoe on said support, a carriage supporting said abutment and movable lengthwise of the shoe to carry the abutment into shoe-engaging position prior to the starting or" the power operation of the machine, means for normally limiting such movement oithe carriage, means for starting the power operation oi the machine, and mechanism for preventing the starting of the machine by said starting means if the carriage is prevented by engagement of the shoe with said abutment from arriving substantially in the position determined by said limiting means.

711;, In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of an abutment for engaging the heel-end face of a shoe on said support, a carriage supporting said abutment and machine, mechanism controlled by said carriage for preventing the starting of the machine by said starting means when the carriage is in its initial retracted position, and a device for retaining said mechanism still in position to prevent the starting of the machine if the carriage is.

prevented by engagement of the'shoe with said support, a carriage supporting said abutment and movable lengthwise of the shoe from an initial retracted position to carry the abutment into shoe-engaging position prior to the starting of the power operation of the machine, means for normally limiting such movement of the carriage, means for starting the power operation of the machine, mechanism controlled by said carriage for preventing the starting of the machine by said starting means when the carriage is in its initial retracted position, and a device for retaining said mechanism still in position to prevent the starting. of the machine until the carriage has subabutment from arriving substantially in the position determined by said limiting means.

12. In a power-operated lasting machine, the combination with a shoe support, of an abutment for engaging the heel-end face of a shoe on said stantially completed its movement to the position determined by said limiting means and for then releasing said mechanism by the action of the carriage. THEODORE P. COURCHENE. 

